Protect Americas Rail and Mass Transportation System, Support the Capito Amendment to 3199

PROTECT AMERICAS RAIL AND MASS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, SUPPORT THE CAPITO AMENDMENT TO HR 3199
7/18/2005

Dear Colleague:

Last year, in the wake of the terrorist bombing at a rail station in Madrid, the House adopted my amendment to enhance penalties for attacks against our Rail or Mass Transportation facilities. Unfortunately, the amendment was stripped during conference with the Senate.

The recent attacks against the London subway system once again demonstrate the need for Congressional action to protect rail and mass transportation hubs. The Rail and Mass Transportation Security Amendment is critical to the war on terrorism as it will reduce our criminal laws vulnerability to bogus legal challenges, bring more consistent and uniform protections to all modes of transportation providers, cover more offenses such as biological agents and radioactive materials, and toughen criminal penalties for aggravated offenses where death results.

The Rail and Mass Transportation Security Amendment would set penalties of up to 20 years in prison for knowingly acting to derail, wreck, set fire to, or disable on-track equipment or a mass transportation vehicle. The amendment includes a 30 year sentence for an attack against a vehicle carrying high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel. The amendment also provides for a life sentence and death penalty eligibility if an attack results in the death of any person.

I hope you will join me in voting to enhance penalties for those who would attack our rail transportation system.

Sincerely,

Signed/: Shelley Moore Capito, M.C.

http://capito.house.gov/press_office/detail-page.aspx?id=92&whichone=pr